


Markings

by bitboozy



Series: Domesticated [8]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Gen, Lucy's the worst I love her, Romance, they're finally coming clean...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 15:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20137945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitboozy/pseuds/bitboozy
Summary: “That’s it? ‘Let’s move in together’ and then ‘back to work’…?”





	Markings

**Author's Note:**

> Still into these? Let me know! Thanks, everyone. :)

Alec forces Daisy to hang out with him on Thursday nights.

Well, not _forces_, per se. Persuades. Strongly insists. Withholds allowance.

Tonight he took her for Indian food – her favorite – then to the cinema, where he promptly fell asleep. Even an Alec Hardy in love is not an Alec Hardy who enjoys romantic comedies. Afterwards, he buys her a 99 and they walk along the pier. He almost gets one for himself, but now with Ellie regularly in life, he has to pace himself. One 99 a week is more than enough 99s for him. They sit on the bench. His and Ellie’s bench. It brings him a strange joy to sit there with his daughter as well.

“Ellie coming to ours tonight?” She asks, taking a huge bite of ice cream. Daisy never licks. She _bites_. Alec has no idea how she never gets a brain freeze.

“Nah, home with her boys,” he replies, trying not to sound too morose about it.

“So you’re going to hers?”

Alec raises an eyebrow at her. “We don’t have to spend _every _night together, Daiz.”

“No, but you do,” she counters. “You have been.”

“Absence makes the heart – “

She cuts him off. “_Dad_.”

“I don’t need to be attached to her every minute,” he insists.

“Fine.” Daisy shrugs.

He watches her thoughtfully. “Does it bother you? That Ellie and I spend so much time together?”

“God no.” She crinkles her nose. “It’s a bloody relief.”

“You do like her, then.”

“Course,” she replies, now biting into her cone. “What d’you want me to say? She’s beautiful and perfect and amazing and funny and smart and cool?”

“Well.” He smiles, thinking that she is in fact all those things. “Just want you to like her.”

“Dunno what she’s doin’ with _you_,” Daisy says with a smirk. “Really slummin’ it if you ask me.”

He rolls his eyes. “All right, Daiz.”

They’re both quiet for a moment. Daisy finishes her cone and wipes her hands on her napkin.

“You love her?” She asks finally. 

Alec looks at her for a moment, then nods. “Aye.”

“Good, then. So do I.”

*

The next morning it’s clear he hasn’t slept. He arrives at CID around 7am, for no particular reason outside of boredom. She arrives around 8:30 after having dropped the boys off at their respective schools. She doesn’t look much better. He briefs the team on the day’s priorities, then retreats back into his office. After taking a moment to make it seem casual, she knocks on his office door, and enters without waiting for a response. 

She stands against his closed door, and they regard each other, exhausted. They both take a few steps forward; he holds his arms out to her, she steps into them, wrapping her arms around his waist. They hold each other for a few moments, swaying ever so slightly, no interest in letting go.

“Take it you've not slept either,” he says, placing a kiss on her neck.

“No,” she admits into his chest. “Barely a wink.”

It was the first night in three weeks they hadn’t slept in the same bed, miraculously. And, it turns out, they’d quite gotten used to it.

“Sorry. I should have come by. It’s just…Daisy thought we couldn’t do it.”

“What?” She pulls back a bit to look up at him.

“Spend the night apart.”

She sighs. “Does it bother her?”

“No, I don’t….I don’t think so, but I s’pose I wanted to prove to her that we…._could_,” he explains.

“Right.” She nods.

Ellie closes her eyes. She could fall asleep in his arms right now, standing up, if he’d just stop talking.

“El.”

She smiles against his chest. It still brings her great pleasure to be called that. By him.

“Hmm.”

“One option,” he says tentatively. “Might be to…” He sighs heavily. “Combine…to…join, to…uh. Move in together.”

She pulls back enough to look at him, utterly gobsmacked. “You want to live together?”

“Well.” He sighs heavily, a bit distraught to be in this position. “We’ve not been…_together _so long, I know, but we’ve known each other for years, and we…our domestic lives being what they are…and our…_attachment _is…” He hangs his head. “It might make the most sense.”

She’s still flummoxed. “You want to live with me?”

He frowns. “Why is this such a surprise? After all, we do…spend most nights together. And most days. We’re in love whether we like it or not and – “

She bursts out laughing. “What?”

“What?”

“Whether we like it or not?” She can’t stop laughing.

“_Ellie_.”

“Sorry.” She forces her face into a frown. “I thought it might take _years _to get you here.”

“I…just think about it, yeah?”

She nods. “Yeah, all right.”

“Back to work then.” He turns back to the papers on his desk. She’s just staring at him.

“That’s it? ‘Let’s move in together’ and then ‘back to work’…?”

He furrows his brows. “What do you want?”

“Kiss would do.”

He takes a step forward and kisses her, albeit chastely. She is entirely unsatisfied.

“What?” He asks, grumpily.

She puts her hands on her hips. “Kiss me like you want to move in with me.”

He stares at her. She’s trying very hard to be serious but she can’t help smiling.

“Go on. Kiss me like you want to share a mortgage.”

“Ellie.”

“Kiss me like you want to fight over the dishes and argue about the electric bill.”

He lurches at her suddenly, kissing her with such ferocity that it pushes her back against the door. When he finally pulls away she’s weak in the knees, relying entirely on the door to keep her upright.

“Right, then,” she exhales.

He wipes the lipstick off his mouth. “Back to work, Miller.”

*

Ellie meets Lucy at the Trader’s for lunch. Lucy’s treat. Or so she claims. Ellie can’t wait to find out what her ulterior motive is this time. Ellie has the salmon. Lucy picks at her pasta, focusing more on her glass of wine. They’re eating in silence when Ellie’s mobile vibrates and she reaches down to her bag to find it. Spotting something peculiar, Lucy leans forward, staring at her sister.

“What,” Ellie says with disgust, leaving her mobile on the table.

“What’s that?” Lucy says, pointing at Ellie’s neck.

“_What_.”

Lucy gets out of her seat and starts manhandling her sister, pushing her collar away. In doing so, she notices something else on her chest. Ellie tries to swat her away, twisting and turning away from her.

“Oi!”

“You _dirty slag_,” Lucy exclaims, with unbridled glee. “You’re covered in bloody _love bites_. What you been doin’ and why haven’t I heard about it ‘til now?!”

Ellie sighs heavily, wishing she could slide down out of her chair and become one with the floor.

“Who is it? Is it Sam from the pub? Or that bloke you went out with a few months back?”

Ellie frowns. “_No_, Luce, leave it, will you?”

Lucy’s eyes widen. “Have you met me? Leave it?” She inspects Ellie’s skin once more before returning to her seat. “Should really put something on those. ‘Sposed to be a respectable woman of the law, aren’t ya?”

Ellie folds her arms across her chest and says nothing.

“I should’ve known it, Dad _said _you’d been _workin’ late _an awful lot these days,” Lucy continues. “I dunno why you don’t tell me these things, I mean I could’ve given you a little advice, spruced you up a bit.”

“Don’t need your help.” Ellie has gone into full little sister mode, avoiding Lucy’s gaze.

“Did you finally sign up for Tinder like I’ve been tellin’ ya?”

“Oh, come off it, Lucy, will you.”

“Oh, tell me,” Lucy begs. “Who you been dressin’ all nice for, eh? You’re wearing bloody _lipstick_.” A beat. “Oh. Is it someone at work?!”

Ellie sits up suddenly. “If you’ll shut your sodding mouth for one single second I’ll _tell _you.”

Lucy purses her lips and sits up straight, leaning forward just a bit.

Ellie stares at her plate. “It’s Alec Hardy.”

Lucy all but leaps out of her chair. “_What_?!”

“Shh, shh.” Ellie swats at her.

“_DI Hardy_?!” Lucy can hardly contain herself. “Your boss? The one you were accused of shaggin’ in court? That grumpy Scot is the one who’s marked you like this?” She shakes her head. “Didn’t think he had it in him.”

“You through?”

Lucy takes a long sip from her wine glass. “You speak now.”

“Oh, you sure? Nothing else you’d like to add?”

“When did it start?” Lucy asks, unable to stop herself.

“Six weeks or so ago.”

“Six weeks?!?!” Ellie glares at her. “Sorry, sorry. _How _did it start?”

“It, uh…” Ellie has to think. It already feels like it’s been going on for decades. “I seduced him.”

“You did not.”

“Did so. Showed up at his with a bottle of Glenlivet. In my tarty jeans.”

“You hit him with your tarty jeans? Reckon you meant business then.” Lucy nods approvingly. “Well done.”

Ellie reaches across the table to steal Lucy’s wine glass and takes a long sip before handing it back.

“How is he?” Lucy asks, leaning forward conspiratorially.

“What, you mean what kind of shag is he?” Obviously this is what she means. “Good. Very good.” She clears her throat. “A man of many talents.”

“Adventurous?” Lucy asks hopefully.

“He gets the job done,” Ellie grants her. “Very done. Extremely done. Often two to three times a night.”

Lucy is positively _gleeful_. “Not a selfish lover then.”

Ellie blushes. “No. Very much not.”

“Well, bloody hell, El.”

It’s Ellie’s turn to smile smugly now.

“So, this just a dirty little on the side thing, or – something more?” Lucy asks. It’s unclear which one she’d rather it be.

Ellie hesitates. “…He wants us to live together actually.”

“You’re takin’ the piss.”

“Am not. Brought it up this morning in fact.”

“And the boys?”

“They like him. Fred _adores _him.”

Lucy is a bit suspicious. “And what about him, doesn’t he have a daughter?”

Ellie nods. “Think we’re getting to be quite good mates.”

“So you’re gonna do it then.”

“I dunno, Luce, it’s just come up today.”

Lucy shakes her head, grinning. “Dad’ll lose his bleeding mind you know.”

Ellie sighs. “I know.” 

“Just promise me I can be there when you tell him.”

*

Daisy leaves straight after school to spend the weekend at her mum’s. After dropping her at the train station, Alec goes straight to Ellie’s and makes it just in time for supper with her and the boys. It’s a simple meal – pasta, some steamed vegetables. It’s about all she can manage. They get Tom talking during the meal more than they usually do. He likes having someone around to talk to about football. But as soon as he’s done eating, he retreats up to his room. Alec insists on doing the washing up, and when he’s finally through, he finds Ellie on the sofa with a sleeping Fred lying on top of her, face buried in her breasts, his comfort spot.

He can’t help but chuckle when he sees them. Ellie looks up, smiling helplessly.

“Lad after my own heart,” he says, and Ellie laughs.

Fred stirs a bit, and she kisses the top of his head.

“I’ll put him down, eh?” Alec offers.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to – “

“I’d like to.” He smiles a bit timidly. “If ‘s all right.”

Her whole body warms. “By all means.”

Alec gently extricates Fred from her and repositions him in his arms.

“Just make sure he has his little giraffe,” Ellie says. “Probably on the floor next to his bed.”

He nods, and she watches him carry her little boy upstairs. While he’s gone, she pours them both a glass of wine and sets both glasses on the coffee table. She kicks off her slippers and curls up on the couch. He comes down the stairs a few minutes later, and he’s smiling to himself.

“Did he wake?”

“Only long enough to say ‘Mumma’ at nothing in particular before rolling over with his giraffe,” Alec replies, moving to sit next to her.

“My sweet boy,” Ellie says, imagining it.

“You’re the love of his life.” He takes his glass of wine and clinks it against hers.

“For now.” She becomes a bit wistful. “You know when he was a baby, it was Joe he used to call out for a night. When Joe went away, I worried he wouldn’t…adjust. That he’d always be waiting for Joe to come home. Thank christ babies have such awful memories.”

Alec puts an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. Her legs curled up, she tucks her feet under his legs and lays her head on his shoulder. “Told Luce today,” she says softly.

“Told her what?” He asks, mildly terrified. “Bout us?” 

“Yeah. Took it well. Mostly just wanted to know how you are in bed.” She takes a sip of wine. “No surprise there really.”

“And?” He looks at her, waiting for more.

“And what?”

“How am I in bed?”

She nearly spits out her wine. “You know how you are.”

“Do I then?”

The look on his face is somehow innocent and wicked at the exact same time and oh jesus christ is she in love with him.

“She found all the bloody markings you’ve left on me, I think she gets it,” Ellie says.

He raises an eyebrow. “Not _all _the markings.”

She blushes, for the millionth time today. “Naughty.” She kisses his scratchy cheek.

“’M only sayin’, some of my favorites are in rather hard to reach places,” he explains. “For instance, the one…here.” He runs a finger along the side of her breast. “Here.” He squeezes her hip. “Of course there’s the one _here._” His hand travels to just below her belly button. “And a personal favorite…” His hand slips between her legs to caress her inner thigh. “Here.”

Growing dizzier by the second, she puts her glass down on the table and climbs onto his lap, straddling him. 

“Oh, hello there,” he says with a cheeky grin.

“Wanker.” She takes his face in both hands and kisses him. “Told her we were thinking about moving in.”

He nods cautiously, running his hands up and down her arms gently. “And?”

“She suspects she’ll have to mind the kids less, so she’s all for it.”

“And what about you?” He asks, slipping his hands under her t-shirt, caressing her ribcage.

“Oh, I dunno.” She leans her forehead against his, closing her eyes. He doesn’t. “Maybe not such a bad idea.”

“No…” He moves to suck on her earlobe.

“You’re not afraid we might kill each other?” She questions, tilting her head to the side. “Work together all day, home together all night…”

“Haven’t killed each other _yet_,” he murmurs, hands moving up to the underside of her breasts, feeling the weight of them.

“You may tire of me at some point,” she says quietly. “It won’t always be like this.”

His hands fall down to her lap and he pulls his head back to look at her.

“All I mean is…you know, eventually it’ll all become routine. It may not be quite as exciting all the time,” she explains. “You may not always want to snog me on the couch. You may just want to…watch telly and fall asleep.” 

He shakes his head. “Ellie Miller, I swear to you here and now, I will _always _want to snog you on the couch.” He looks at her very solemnly. “You can hold me to it in a court of law.”

She laughs quietly, burying her face between his neck and shoulder. He wraps his arms around her and holds her tight. “I promise you, El, as long as you’re you and I’m me…” She lifts her head to meet his eyes. “I promise I won’t kill you.”

She kisses him, laughing against his lips. “’Fraid I can’t promise the same.” She nips at his lower lip. “Knob.”

When Tom descends the stairs to retrieve his schoolbag, he could kill them _both_.

**


End file.
